Suspected gas blast kills 17 worshipers in Bangladesh mosque

A suspected gasoline pipeline explosion at a mosque in Bangladesh killed 17 folks and injured dozens as worshippers have been about to finish their prayers, officers stated on Saturday.

The blast, which fire carrier officers suspect used to be brought about by way of a leak from a gasoline pipeline, took place on Friday night time at a mosque in Narayanganj district, simply out of doors the capital Dhaka.

A minimum of 37 folks have been rushed to Dhaka’s specialist burn and plastic-surgery clinic, maximum of them with critical burns, docs stated.

Seventeen folks, together with a kid, died when they sustained burn accidents, stated Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the burn unit. The loss of life toll may just upward push additional as a lot of them have been in vital situation, he stated.

“I noticed smoke used to be belching out of the mosque after the surprising explosion with a large bang and folks have been screaming. Some have been rolling in the street as they attempted to place out the flames on their our bodies,” stated native resident Mohammad Ratan.

Fireplace officers stated gasoline that collected from a leak in a pipeline operating beneath the mosque most likely precipitated the explosion.

“We basically suspect that gasoline leaked from the pipeline and collected within because the home windows have been closed. The explosion used to be almost certainly precipitated because of sparks when the air conditioners have been grew to become on,” stated Abdullah Al Arefin, a senior fire carrier reliable.

Government have introduced an investigation into the incident.

Lax rules and deficient enforcement are incessantly blamed for home and commercial fires in Bangladesh.

In February final yr, an inferno in a centuries-old neighbourhood of Dhaka killed 71 folks. A month later, 25 folks have been killed when fire broke out in a 22-storey business development in an upscale space of the capital.